A breastfeeding mother should take special care of her breasts to avoid unpleasant sensations and even diseases and to provide good growth of a newborn. That is why it is really important to learn how to remove a child from your breast and interrupt suction properly.
Situations When You Need to Interrupt Suction
If your child has a good latch during a breastfeeding session your nipple and a part of areola, a dark area around your nipple, will be inside of your baby’s mouth. A good latch is a key to a good suction process. Having a good latch, your newborn can easily remove milk from your ducts.
Related: 3 Strategies to a Perfect Breastfeeding Latch
In general, newborns stop sucking themselves and open their mouth when they are ready to change a side or when they are full. But sometimes there are situations when you have to break a feeding session yourself.
- A Bad Latch. You may feel a little uncomfortable during first seconds of breastfeeding, but you should not feel any pain while feeding. The reason of unpleasant sensations in your breast or a nipple may be a bad latch. A poor latch may cause different problems such as sore ducts, injured nipples and many others. In this case, you should stop breastfeeding and make your child have a correct latch.
- Changing of a side. If you feel that your child continues sucking the breast that is empty and you need to change sides you should also interrupt your breastfeeding session.
- At the end of feeding. When your baby falls asleep during a feeding session and still has your nipple inside of their mouth, you should help your baby to release the nipple.
Remember that you can’t just pull your baby off the nipple, because it may cause the damage. Your child may accidentally bite your nipple or tighten it trying to keep the nipple in the mouth.
Related: How to Ensure a Proper Breastfeeding Latch
How to Remove a Nipple Correctly?
- Check if your hands are clean;
- Put one of your fingers at the corner of your baby’s mouth;
- Carefully place the finger to the side of the child’s mouth;
- Gently press to the gums and lips of your child. It will weaken the latch and interrupt suction;
- Remove the nipple after your newborn opens the mouth;
- Do not remove the finger from your child’s mouth until your nipple is released to prevent accidental biting.
You should learn how to interrupt suction during the first days after giving birth because it a very important skill. You may ask your lactation consultant or doctor to explain the right way of doing it.
